There were plenty of heroes for the NLEX Road Warriors in their 91-74 drubbing of the Grand Slam-seeking TNT Tropang 5G in the continuation of the 2024–25 PBA Philippine Cup on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
But it was one JB Bahio who proved to be the biggest thorn on the side of TNT as he dropped a seemingly out-of-nowhere double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds. That he did it against Kelly Williams and Poy Erram made Bahio’s heroics even more special given the championship pedigree and experience of the two veterans.
“Binibigay ko lang ‘yung best ko. Hindi ko sinasayang ‘yung opportunity na binibigay ni Coach Jong [Uichico]. Binibigay ko lang ‘yung 100% ko every game,” Bahio told reporters after his career game.
JB Bahio’s Winding Road to PBA Nearly Took Him to TNT
Then again, if there’s a team who knows what JB Bahio can bring to the table, it’s probably TNT.
In the same postgame presser after NLEX’s huge win, Uichico bared to reporters that the Tropang 5G had actually invited Bahio to join the team’s training camp back in 2023. Incidentally, that was the year the former San Beda Red Lion was drafted 25th by the Terrafirma Dyip in the 2023 PBA Draft. However, he wasn’t tendered an offer, leaving him as an unrestricted free agent and prompting him to take his act to the MPBL. Sometime later, TNT gave him an invite—two times, in fact.
“After nung season namin noon two years ago sa Pampanga [Lanterns], dapat nasa kanila na ‘ko, e hindi ako na-release. After nung Pampanga, nag-Nueva Ecija [Vanguards] ako sa MPBL,” Bahio recounted. “Dapat nung July pa lang pinapasama na nila ko sa training camp, [pero] ‘di nanaman po ko na-release dun sa Nueva Ecija. Tinapos ko ‘yung season ko dun sa MPBL. After nun MPBL, na-invite po ako ni Coach Jong na mag-training.”
JB Bahio’s road to the PBA was long, hard, and winding, but things seem to be turning out all right for the 6-foot-5 big man. And, by some twist of fate, he just played his best game against the first team that would have given him his first legitimate shot at the big league.
Yes, the basketball gods are crazy are that way. But one thing is for certain: They usually reward the hard workers.
